The Tales of the Princess and the Dragon
by Just A Dreamer9
Summary: In an age of swords and shields, young Princess Lucy Heartfilia feels alone after her mother dies and her father becomes distant. A young dragon boy comes along and changes everything overnight.
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time, there lived a dragon who fell in love with a beautiful princess. The princess was not your ordinary princess, nor the dragon your ordinary dragon. And this most certainly is not your ordinary fairy tale.

In the land of Fiore, in the Heartfilia Kingdom, there lived a small blonde princess named Lucy and her father, His Majesty, King Jude Heartfilia, Ruler of the Southern Lands of Fiore. Sadly, Her Grace, Queen Layla Heartfilia, died while the princess was still very young. This in turn caused the great King to withdraw from society and even his one and only child, causing her to be very lonely. But as lonely as she was, she couldn't shake the sneaking suspicion that someone just as small and lonely as her, was watching from the shadows just out of sight. Sometimes she would catch a glimpse of a red scaly tail, locks of pink hair, or the end of a fluttering white scarf as it disappeared into the shadows. Each and every time this happened, she couldn't help but wonder if there truly was another small child as lonely as her out there. One night, her father snapped at her without reason and sent her to her room without supper. As lonely as tiny Lucy had been, she never shed a tear because of it. Even though she was still a child, sweet Lucy was incredibly strong. But even though she was so strong, that night, for the first time since her mother died, Lucy cried and let out all of the pain from the past two years since her mother died out. All of the loneliness, all of the pain and longing for comfort, all of the confusion and frustration as to why her dad no longer hugged her or tucked her in himself at night, and the pain of missing her mother so much all came pouring out of her eyes like waterfalls of emotion. She hated being a princess. She didn't like all the fancy dresses all the time or having to be tutored by herself by the hired tutors. She didn't like being the only kid she knew. She wanted to be free from all of it. She wanted to be able to be around kids her age, wear normal clothes like the kids she saw wear, and she wanted to have actual friends other than the maid assigned to take care of her. She wept for what seemed like hours into her pillow on her bed. Just then, she heard a rustling in the tree outside her window and the sound of the window opening. She turned around and saw a rosy haired boy with a white patterned scarf around his neck. Except he wasn't simply a boy. She saw that he had red scales covering his entire lower half and he had a tail as well.

"Who-who are you?" She sniffled while clutching a pillow to her chest.

"Please don't cry anymore, Princess. My name is Natsu. I'm a dragon!" The small dragon replied with a smile and took a step towards the young princess.

"You have scales like a dragon and even a tail but you don't look like any dragon I've ever seen in my books. Why do you look like a person instead of a monster?" Lucy asked, putting the pillow down and grabbing one of her many fairy tale picture books from her bedside shelf. She remembered that her parents would read her bedtime stories every night from these books. Natsu took a few steps closer to her seeing the evident sadness on her face.

"Please don't cry, Princess Lucy. I don't want you to cry anymore." He reached out a hand towards her and put it on her shoulder. "It's okay." He said softly. "I don't have a mom either. My dad is gone too. But that's okay. Because they still live inside of us. In our hearts." He said smiling at her. The tears stopped streaming down her face and she looked up at him.

"You don't have any parents?" She asked. So he really was all alone, just like she had felt ever since her father had changed. Ever since her mother had died. His smile faltered as he said "No. I never knew my mom. But my dad was amazing until he disappeared. I'm gonna find him again one day though. And even if I don't find him soon, he's always with me." He put his fist over his heart. "Right here." He said giving her a smile. "Your mom is with you too. Even if you can't see her." Lucy placed her hand over her heart like the dragon boy in front of her had.

"Yeah. Thanks Natsu." She replied smiling back at him. "Wait you never answered my question!" She said suddenly.

"Huh? What's that?" He asked.

"Why do you look like me instead of a big scaly monster? And where are your wings?" She replied. Natsu's smile fell.

"Is that what you think of us? That we're monsters? I'm not a monster! Would a monster care about a complete stranger enough to fly up above an entire courtyard of guards, climb a tree in the dead of night, and climb in through your window just to make sure you don't cry, every single night!" He asked frustrated and somewhat hurt by being referred to as a monster. Lucy was taken aback.

"You did? Every night? Is that why you came in tonight when I started to cry?" She asked.

"Yeah. I know how hard it is being alone. I've been there and I don't want another person to feel alone like I did. I followed you everywhere because I somehow sensed you felt alone like me. I never talked to you though because well I'm a dragon. Your stupid guards would probably have tried to kill me if they saw me anywhere near you. Not that they'd be able to get anywhere near me that is." He said with a sly grin. His wings had been folded up behind his back and were now visible. They were red and scaly like the rest of his dragon parts but also a little bit fluffy where the skin of his wings was. Lucy also noticed that he had claw-like toes.. Lucy couldn't help but let her eyes grow wide in wonder and amazement of the magical person in front of her.

"Wait so, if you have wings and can fly, and you're a dragon, does that mean you can breathe fire too like the dragons in my book? And you STILL haven't answered my question dragon boy! I'm gonna call my maid if you don't answer it this time!" She pouted.

"Alright alright. Geez." He answered. "As much as I can understand, dragons are born this way. We aren't like any other creature in the world. We look human in our early years and then when we reach adulthood, we transform into the dragons in your book but we still have the power to change into human form like I am now. Well. I guess I'm not quite human looking I guess. And yeah I can breathe fire!" He took a deep breath but the young princess stopped him short.

"You idiot don't show me in here! You'll burn all my toys!" She had one hand covering his mouth and the other on her hip.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. Hmm." He stretched his wings out and gave her a smirk. "How about I show you something better than a fire breathing dragon boy?" He asked.

"Huh?" Was her reply. She looked at his outstretched hand and then back at him.

"Come on, Princess it'll be fun! Take my hand." He said. She didn't know what it was about this dragon boy Natsu who didn't look to be any older than her, but she could tell he was genuine and wouldn't hurt her. She was hesitant at first but she took his hand.

"Good. Now hold on tight okay? It's gonna be a wild ride." He gave her another smirk and before she could respond he jumped through the window bringing her through with him. She wanted to scream but knew that if she did, the guards would see her and think she was being abducted by a monster and that wouldn't exactly be good for her only friend. Soon they were high up above the kingdom and Natsu tossed her in the air and caught her on his back.

"That scared me you-!" Her breath caught mid sentence because looking around, she saw many lights scattered abroad which were towns and cities. "Wow..." The tiny princess breathed. A thought struck her. "Natsu, is this what it's like for you all the time? Is this what you see whenever you fly?" She asked.

"Yeah. But this is the first time in a while that I got to share the view with someone." He answered.

"I'm sorry. The view is amazing." She said. She shivered a little bit. Even thought it was a Summer night, the air was still cold this high up. Natsu felt her shivering.

"Hey, put your arms around me.:" He said. She did so and immediately began to feel warmer and warmer.

"You're so warm." She pressed her face into his back and a feeling of warmth and comfort washed over her. It was a feeling she had not felt in a very long time. "Hey, Natsu?" She asked after a little while.

"Yeah?"

"Are we friends?" She spoke softly with both great hope and great fear of the answer.

"Of course we are. Would a friend sneak past fifty armed guards knowing that if he gets caught they'd try to kill him on sight just so he could climb up a tree and sit there by your window just to make sure you didn't cry?" He replied.

"Um."

"Or would they take you high up above the kingdom and warm you up when you get cold?" He asked as he made himself slightly warmer. "Of course they would, Princess. Come on. Let's get you home before anybody notices you were gone"

"Don't worry. They wouldn't notice..Even if I am a princess." Lucy replied in a wavering voice on the verge of tears. Natsu landed in the window of Lucy's room and let her slide off of his back. She started to say something but Natsu simply hugged her tight.

"Don't cry Princess. You're not alone anymore okay? Please don't cry." He said softly. It was the first time in a very long time since the young princess had felt like this. She didn't know what it was about this boy, but just being around him made her feel reassured and confident. Not to mention this hug filled with care and warmth made her feel like she wasn't alone anymore. She finally had a friend. She couldn't stop the flow of tears that poured out of her eyes from how happy she was to have a friend like Natsu. She hugged him back hard not wanting to let go of her new friend.

"Thank you Natsu. For everything." Lucy whispered when she finally stopped the flow of tears.

"What are friends for Your Highness?"Natsu replied playfully. "We're gonna be friends forever. Right?"

"Right." Lucy answered with a smile.

"You will never be alone again, Lucy. I'll always be there right when you need me." He said.

During the following months, Natsu the dragon would visit the young princess every day and take her flying. Natsu would become more dragon-like as he had told her he would when they first met, but what happened next is a story for another time.


	2. Chapter 2

The Tale of the Princess and the Dragon

Chapter 2

Forgiveness

It had been fifteen years since the meeting of the princess and the dragon. The king had fallen ill in his old age and had not much time to live. His daughter, Princess Lucy, still flew with the dragon boy, Natsu, every night that he came to visit her and he had missed not one night in the fifteen years they had known each other. They had grown very close since that Summer night and Natsu had even mastered his transformation skill and now lived inside the castle town working as a blacksmith. But as the king had fallen sick, the surrounding kingdoms had begun to strengthen and mobilize their militaries in preparation for the battle for power over the region which would give them a multitude of resources. There was much unrest in the Heartfilia Kingdom though there were no riots yet. Natsu had been getting busier and busier as the king had given him the task of arming the Royal Guard and the military since he was the best smith in the land. His forged steel was stronger than any other smith's blade and could cleave shields like they were nothing. His shields could withstand attacks from even the strongest of men. His steel arrowheads could pierce multiple foes and the armor he forged was nigh impregnable. Anything he forged, it was the best in all of Fiore. His skill with a hammer and forge was unparalleled even for someone so young. The townspeople were uneasy but still trusted in their king to take actions to protect them even though he was ill.

"Lucy, my daughter. Come here, my child." The king spoke from his bed surrounded by advisors, doctors, and Natsu who Lucy personally asked to be allowed to visit.

"I'm here, father. What is it?" Lucy answered sitting by him. The king started hacking and coughing as he tried to speak until he drank a cup of water.

"My child, I am getting old. Look at me I'm not getting any better any time soon and by then I fear it will be too late. I can still command my kingdom but I fear for our people. I fear this war looming over the horizon. Most of all, Lucy, I fear I will die without your forgiveness." He said.

"Father, you don't have to-" Lucy tried to say but was cut off by a raise of the king's hand.

"All those years that I neglected you, all those years of me not being there for you after…after your mother died. I wasn't there for you. I sent tutors to teach you instead of myself. I sent a maid to look after you where I should have looked after you. I should have spent time with you every second I could. I should have tucked you in every night when you went to bed and I am so sorry I never did any of those things." Tears were rolling down his face now but he maintained his composure through it.

"Father, no it's okay. It's okay. I know how much you loved Mother and how much it must have hurt. You haven't had anybody to lean on for support for seventeen years." She replied.

"That's not true and you know it Lucy." Her father said gently. "I have always had someone to lean on. Ever since you came into this world I have. And even after I recovered from Layla's loss, I didn't know how to be there for you, Lucy. So I pushed you away. No self respecting father, much less a king should ever do that to his one and only daughter whom he loves. I don't want you to resent me for that. Even though you have every right to. My dear Lucy, please forgive me."

"Father," Lucy whispered tears beginning to flow. "I forgive you. You don't have to carry that burden anymore. You may not have been the best father, but you've been a great king. Even if you weren't a king, I wouldn't want anyone else to be my father but you. I love you." She said.

"That's all I needed to hear from you my sweet child. But there's one more thing you must do for me as well as this kingdom. We have at our disposal a vast army, many tacticians, and weapons forged by the best in all of Fiore who stands here with us. I believe you are already acquainted. Our army can win this war for us thanks to those incredible weapons and armor, Sir Dragneel." The king told them.

"My Lord, I'm not a knight." Natsu corrected.

"You are now, master blacksmith. Kneel before me. Lucy, help me up and hand me my sword." He commanded. Natsu knelt and the gilded sword of the Heartfilia line was given to the king who stood before Natsu and unsheathed it.

"Natsu Drganeel, with God as witness, do you solemnly swear to protect the citizens, the kingdom, and Lucy Heartfilia with all your might, even at the cost of your own life? To be honest, loyal and brave no matter what?" He asked.

"I swear it, my King." He replied saluting with his right fist over his heart.

"Then with God and these people as witness, I dub thee, Sir Natsu Dragneel the Blacksmith. Arise, Sir Dragneel." He commanded.

"Thank you, my King." Natsu saluted again.

"As I was saying, Lucy, this kingdom is going to need a king. Since you are the heir to the throne, you will need to find a man who will rule justly, bring peace to Fiore, and will love the kingdom only second to you. " He said. Natsu and Lucy instinctively looked at each other at the mention of the last part and the king noticed this. He laid back down and scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Hmm maybe you already found him?" He asked and then nearly hacked up a lung from laughing too hard. "Man that hurt. But it was surely worth it to see the looks on your faces! You could have put tomatoes to shame!" He tried to stifle a laugh at the glare he was getting from his daughter but she couldn't hold the glare because she knew he was right. Soon she was laughing followed by Natsu and the other advisors. After the laughter died down and the advisors had left, Lucy sat beside King Heartfilia.

"I love you, Father. I promise I will protect our kingdom." Lucy vowed.

"Me too, Your Majesty. This kingdom is the only place I have ever felt like I really belonged ever since my mother died and my dad disappeared. These people, your daughter, they are the only family I have left. My dad taught me before he left that family isn't something decided by blood but by choice and you protect them no matter the enemy be it against the kingdom or the world. I will protect her." Natsu vowed.

"How are you so confident, blacksmith? You are so young. You do not look like you have ever had sword training before even though you forge perfect weapons. How is it that you are so sure that even if the city was breached, you would be able to protect her? Out with it boy, death is knocking at my door and he waits for no man." The king said impatiently.

"Father! Don't speak like that." Lucy protested. She locked eyes with Natsu and then pointedly looked at his back and then back to his eyes. Natsu let his head drop in defeat knowing that if he didn't let the secret out, she would.

"Just..Don't die of shock Your Majesty." Natsu mumbled as he hesitated and then used his magic to show his wings. He stretched them out to their full span and pulled his sleeves up to show the scales that covered his arms up to his shoulders and his whole torso as well as his legs.

"You're a..A.." The king said shocked.

"A Dragon." Natsu answered.

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3

The Tales of the Princess and the Dragon

Chapter 3

Inheritance

"A dragon. Yes. I never knew my mother but my father's name was Igneel, King of Fire Dragons. Which I guess by human standards would make me a prince right?" Natsu chuckled nervously. The king looked up at the ceiling.

"Oh you can't be serious!" The king groaned. "You wait until I am dying to spring this on me? Do you want me to defenestrate you? I will get up out of this bed and throw you out of that window!" He said noncommittally. He sulked for a few minutes in silence while he thought about what was happening. He then glanced at Natsu in thought. "You said you'd protect my daughter with your life? And our kingdom?" The king asked stroking his beard.

"Of course, My King. I would never let this kingdom down while I still breathe. And more importantly, I could never let my best friend down." He replied looking at Lucy. The king mulled it over for a moment.

"Fine. But if we suddenly need a miracle out on the battlefield, I want you to be that miracle. Can you breathe fire?" He asked.

"Yes, My Lord! I can show you right here!" Natsu said excitedly. He took a deep breath before Lucy kicked him into the wall.

"You idiot! Don't try and roast the king!" Lucy shouted. Both Natsu and Jude looked at Lucy in surprise and then at each other.

"Maybe she should be the miracle, Your Highness?" Natsu suggested causing both men to laugh.

"Maybe you aren't so bad, dragon." The king mused. "I'm glad to have you with us, Natsu." They clasped each others' arms. "You watch after this young man, Lucy. Keep him out of trouble." He said with a wink.

"Yes, Father. You can count on me." Lucy replied with a sad smile. He grabbed her hand and held it before he began coughing violently.

"Father you need to get some rest now." Lucy pleaded with panic evident in her voice. Natsu rushed over to his bedside and knelt down.

"My King, please, you need to rest now." Natsu said calmly. Jude merely dismissed their words with a wave of his hand.

"My children, do not fret. My time is up. I have served this kingdom well, lead us into an age of prosperity, and most importantly, I have earned my daughter's forgiveness. My only regret is that my death will be the cause of a war. But I can rest assured that my council knows what needs to be done and will get us through the war." He comforted them, his voice growing raspy. He started coughing violently again and clutched his chest. Tears brimmed both Natsu's and Lucy's eyes as they knew the end was merely moments away for their king and Lucy's father.

"Do not mourn my death, my sweet child. I go to a better place. I will finally be with your mother again. Besides, this young man here will look after you. I love you Lucy. Don't you ever let that smile of yours fade." He smiled. "I love you too Father." Lucy replied hugging him. He semi-whispered to Natsu. "Don't you do anything ungentlemanly to my daughter or I will come back and haunt your scaly hide." His eyes narrowed at Natsu. Natsu began to sputter trying to come up with something to say. The king's laughter filled the room as he laughed at Natsu's reaction. Natsu, realizing it had been for a laugh, joined in on the laughter shortly followed by Lucy as well. Their laughter filled the room and the hallway for a short time before Jude's laughter faded and became more shallow until he let out a final raspy laugh and his hand fell from Lucy's and Natsu's grasp and he rejoined his wife above them. As his hands fell softly onto the bed beside him, tears streamed down Lucy's face and she buried her face in the sheets and wept softly. Natsu knelt beside her and wrapped an arm around her. She then buried her face in his neck and wrapped her arms around him weeping.

"Just let it all out Lucy. It'll be okay." He soothed rubbing her back. The funeral was observed by all of the Heartfilia Kingdom, her allies, and the non hostile kingdoms who were trade partners with her. People gathered from across Fiore to attend the funeral. The people said their prayers for their king and kingdom and sailed him on a grand ship out into the ocean. The archers, with tear-stained and hardened faces, fired a volley of blazing arrows setting the grand ship ablaze sending smoke into the dreary skies above. Natsu and Lucy stood on the shore watching the flames engulf the ship as a few unshed tears finally escaped Lucy's eyes and a solitary tear rolled down Natsu's cheek. A soldier with a horn climbed to the top of a nearby cliff and blew his horn followed by several other soldiers blowing their horns beside him and all along the top of the ridge. The army snapped to attention and saluted as the last of the ship was engulfed and began to sink. As Lucy stood there, cheeks stained by sadness, the pink haired blacksmith slowly wrapped his hand around hers which twitched at first before wrapping around his, both giving a reassuring squeeze to the other. The tears ceased to flow from Lucy's eyes as she wore a ghost of a smile and in this one small and simple act, Natsu had made Lucy feel like the future might not be so bad and foreboding after all.

To Be Continued


	4. Chapter 4

The Tales of the Princess and the Dragon

Chapter 4

Revelation

War loomed on the horizon in the land of Fiore between the magnificent Heartfilia Kingdom and her neighbors as tensions rose higher and higher. The king was dead and a vacuum of power was beginning to form. This war would be the deciding war for who would control the entire region and greatly influence the entire economy of Fiore.

"This is gonna be a crazy war, Princess Lucy." The rosy haired human dragon, Natsu said quietly as he and his childhood friend, the Princess, who was now the next in line for the throne, sat atop a lone hill under the starry sky above. Her face was bathed in silver moonlight, but her hair was golden as the treasures in the royal vault her late father had collected over the years.

"Yeah. But thanks to you, the soldiers will be well armed and well protected even from devastating attacks thanks to your Dragonmetal equipment." She replied giving him a small smile. Natsu, having known her since she was a small child, could sense something was amiss with the fair princess.

"Hey, Lucy, what's wrong?" Natsu asked scooting closer to her. Her face was now darkened by her bangs blocking the silver moonbeams.

"I.." She started. "I won't be able to take the throne and reestablish stability in the land like my father would have wanted if…" She trailed off and put her forehead on her knees and brought her knees closer to her.

"If what..?" Natsu inquired now concerned. He never liked it when she was upset even a little bit. Her smile was what warmed him even more than his flames. Her friendship was what gave him strength. Lucy bit her lip.

"If I can't marry royalty, Natsu..I have to marry royalty…But there are no princes who aren't taken in the neighboring kingdoms. And all the other princes don't know a single thing about running a country because they are still children! I can't marry a child, Natsu! It isn't decent! I don't want to be the queen known for changing the king's diapers and babysitting him all day! I wouldn't be able to have kids! Oh no..I wouldn't be able to have kids…The Heartfilia legacy would end with me and all because I couldn't find a decent prince old enough to become the eventual king!" Lucy wailed. She fell back onto the grass and covered her face with her hands. "It's over. My life is over because all the princes are buffoons and I can't find any worthy of the Heartfilia Kingdom." She moaned. Natsu stared at her as if she was delusional. "Stop looking at me like that, Natsu. I'm trying to wallow in self pity and defeat here."

"Lucy, you remember those fairy tale books you use to have?" Natsu asked sliding closer to her to where they were just inches apart.

"Yeah. Why?" She responded.

"Who was it that always came for the princess trapped in the tower?" He fell backwards to face the sky.

"It was always Prince Charming or a prince." She propped her head up with her arm to look at Natsu beside her.

"And what came for you that night in the summer so many years ago? Was it Prince Charming or a dragon?" He replied.

"Uh…It was a dragon. It was you Natsu. Where are you-" She was cut off.

"Wrong." He interrupted.

"Huh? But…" She started.

"Who says it couldn't have been both? Lucy, I'm about to tell you something. It's going to sound weird but please don't freak out okay?" He asked.  
"O…kay…?" She said. Natsu sat up, took her hands, and looked her straight in the eye. "Lucy, I…" He shifted his gaze for a second but then looked back and took a deep breath. "I love you. Lucy, I love you." He squeezed her hands in nervous anticipation of her reaction. "I..I've felt this way for a while. We're best friends. I've always protected this kingdom by providing them with weapons and armor when I learned how to. I have always protected you. Not a single day since the day we met did I leave you alone. Not one day were you alone. I must have started feeling this way about you a few years ago. It was just another night flying but when we landed, the moonlight made you glow like it had every other time we flew at night and landed in that spot, but something just finally clicked I guess that night. Something within me said 'You can't lose her. You have to hold on to her.' and I promised myself that I would protect you and keep that smile on your face no matter what. I can understand if you don't feel the same way..Just please don't hate me for it." He moved to get up but Lucy pulled him back down and looked him in the eyes with a soft expression even though she was on the brink of tears.

"You idiot.." She said fondly. "Do you honestly think I don't feel the same way about you? You were my first friend. You never left me alone as a child nor have you since." She put her hand on his cheek. "You protected me since the day we met, you showed me that magic is indeed real and that friends last a lifetime. There's only one thing though…" She trailed off and looked away. "A princess can only become a queen if she marries a prince. Natsu…" She said unable to look him in the eye. He stood and pulled off his shirt.

"Natsu what do you think you are doing! It's not decent for you to take your shirt off in front of a princess!" Lucy shrieked covering her already crimson face.

"Oh relax Lucy. I was shirtless for several years after we met. And besides, I just wanted to make a point." He took off his shirt and red scales began to appear on his torso and covered his arms. "I got these scales from my mother and father. My father is Igneel, King of Flame Dragons. Which makes me…" He let her process what he just revealed. She gasped as the truth dawned on her.

"The prince of flame dragons…! You're the prince of flame dragons?! Why did you never tell me?" She asked bewildered.

"Well you never asked." He replied. She rolled her eyes and jabbed him with her elbow.

"Put your shirt back on, dummy. Hey…Are you going to have to fight in the war, Natsu?" Lucy asked slightly fearful of the answer. She didn't want to risk losing him in a battle even if he was a dragon.

"Good question. Somebody has to protect the future queen though right? And didn't your father order me to protect you with my life? I don't see how I can effectively do that on the battlefield. Plus I wouldn't be able to see you smile. And I really like your smile." He responded. They both laughed and fell back onto the grass. Natsu reached for Lucy's hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. "You do realize that I'm not going to be able to tell anybody this right? At least until we take the throne. I'm not sure how the people would take a dragon living among them for several years and becoming king. I'll just cross that bridge when we get there though. Come on. Let's go home. We gotta prepare for the war." They took flight from their grassy hill and returned to the castle.

The next week was full of preparation. Natsu was busier than he had ever been with continuously preparing equipment, making fortifications to the walls with the help of the engineers, and creating siege equipment using his dragonmetal forges. Lucy and Natsu barely got to see each other except late at night when Natsu returned to his quarters near Lucy's. He was her bodyguard and best friend after all. In spite of all the work to be done though, he always made time to see her before he was done for the night. On the eve of war, all of the Heartfilia Kingdom's soldiers were deployed and equipped with dragonmetal armor and weapons. In the distance, the three other kingdoms' armies were set facing each other with the Heartfilians completing the square. The days following would be the deciding days for who would claim power in the region. And so Natsu stood atop the tower of the castle ensuring no foe would come close to infiltrating the castle walls and getting close to his princess. The four armies had been gathered on the middle ground two leagues away awaiting dawn when the battle for dominance would begin.

To Be Continued


	5. Chapter 5

The Tales of the Princess and the Dragon

Chapter 5

War

The sun began to peek over the horizon on the day of reckoning, the day when the war for power and control over the Heartfilia Empire would be waged. The Heartfilian soldiers, however, had long risen in anticipation to defend their home and bring glory and honor to their kingdom. The sun was rising as the four armies made their final preparations and bathed the battlefield in light.

"Archers! Prepare to fire!" Yelled the Heartfilian commander of the archers. The archers let loose a volley of dragonmetal arrows that darkened the sky before falling upon the enemy like rain drops in a downpour. Each arrow dealt death for all in its path, cutting down the enemy like wheat in the harvest. The Heartfilian foot soldiers charged into battle.

"Sir, the scouts on the hill have reported a major change in battle! It would appear that the flags of each kingdom have changed. The three enemy kingdoms all have the same flag now and are forming one giant army! What are your orders, sir?" Asked a battle informant. The strategist moved some pieces on his map around and muttered to himself.

"Fall back to the canyon. We'll bottleneck them there, thin them out with our archers, and then hold out as long as we can before retreating to the castle. Get a runner to relay this to the castle guard along with the officers on the field. Dismissed!" The strategist replied. The informant did so and the army fell back to the canyon.

"That's what the general said. I must report back to the battlefield!" The runner sprinted back towards the field after relaying the message to Natsu and the Royal Guard.

"Okay, everybody. Here's what's gonna happen." Natsu said to the engineers and guardsmen. "My armor is not invincible. Yes, it's the best in the land, possibly even the world, but that doesn't make the wearer immortal. Even with my armor and weapons, the numbers have tripled against us and it looks like we will be under siege by tomorrow. So we need all of the able bodied men who are still here to help me put up anti siege equipment. Go round them up and find some torches. We'll be here until morning more than likely. I need three engineers to begin building dragonsmetal ballista on the castle walls and above the gates. I have the designs and all the needed materials back at the workshop and forge. Princess, I need you to help me with these barrels. Everybody knows what they have to do so go!" Natsu ordered. He was no strategist but he had a knack for fortification and defense ever since he had begun reading warfare books in the library several years ago. He was going to make sure that n enemy would step foot inside the castle walls and no harm would come to Princess Lucy or the citizens inside the castle walls.

"Archers! Fire!" The commander ordered once again. The enemy soldiers outside the bottleneck were getting cut down by scores but they just kept coming. Their numbers were vast but so was the resolve of the Heartfilian warriors. For every Heartfilian life lost, fifteen foes were vanquished and yet the enemy persisted. "We are being flanked from the left and right, sir! They are coming around the canyonside! We are being routed!" An informant cried.

"Send the cavalry to intercept the flankers and set some explosive barrels on the ridge. As soon as you sound retreat and our men are clear, blow the barrels and run back to the castle. We have thinned the enemy out enough to hold them back at the castle walls. You have your orders." The general dismissed him and hastily packed up his equipment. The archers continued to fire and mow down enemy soldiers as they took fire themselves but most of the arrows bounced off thanks to Natsu's dragonmetal studded leather armor. The cavalry intercepted the flanks and were slowly pushed back by the sheer number of enemy combatants. The trumpet sounded retreat and the Heartfilian army withdrew back to the castle as night fell on the land.

"Hurry up and get those ballista built! Someone start gathering water in buckets! Lucy, I need you to get in the castle where it's safer. They are about to come down on us hard but if what we built earlier won't convince them to retreat, I'll just have to go out there and do it myself as a dragon. I'll be right there as soon as I finish forging my weapon. Here, take this dragonmetal whip. It's versatile and easy to use. Not to mention I made it so you'll be fine if you need to use it. Wait before you go do that, I need you to escort the citizens into the inner castle where they'll be safe. As soon as the engineers are finished, they'll be manning the defenses. Stay safe Lucy. If you need me, just scream and I'll come rescue you in a heartbeat." They hugged for a few beats and then went to complete their tasks.

The Heartfilian army arrived at the castle as the rear guard slowed the enemy enough for the rest of them to get inside the castle walls and the archers to take up positions. The drawbridge was raised and the portcullis was dropped. The reinforced gates were closed as soon as the rear guard was safely inside and the entire castle went into lockdown. The engineers armed the ballista and the archers used the fire pits to set the enemy siege equipment ablaze.

"Grappling hooks! Get ready to pour the oil!" A field officer commanded from atop the wall. "Pour oil!"

The vats of oil sitting at the edge of the wall were dumped onto the soldiers climbing the walls and those underneath them. "Archers! Set the enemy ablaze!" Another officer shouted. The archers lit their arrows and shot into the oil covered soldiers who set the surrounding enemies on fire. Fighting like this continued on into the night. Natsu, with his custom weapon finished, left to go protect Lucy in the inner castle. Assassins had burrowed through the ground and into the courtyard of the castle. They snuck their way into the castle to where Lucy was. Natsu heard a scream from the top of the southern tower and like an arrow shot off the ground straight towards his target. His custom armor allowed him to use his wings and claws without having to remove it. His pupils became slits, his body, a red and silver streak in the air, and his knuckles white gripping the custom sword he named "The Dragon's Fang". It was a wicked looking sword, having not only a spiked hand guard, but also a pointed handle and words written in dragon's tongue along the flat of the blade. It read "A dragon's power is in its heart and in its friends". Natsu flew in through the window at high speed ready to strike at any sign of trouble. As he flew in, he saw a hooded man with a dagger bearing the crest of the three armies about to attack Lucy. His pupils became fully slitted and red scales covered his arms and hands inside his armor. His sword was aflame as he ran him through with his blazing fury into the assassin behind him down the stairs. The third assassin had been waiting at the bottom of the stairs when his two fellow assassins tumbled down the stairs in a bloody mess smelling charred. He took a step back in shock. Natsu flew down the stairs and grabbed him up.

"Do you think you can just sneak in here and kill my best friend?! Do you think I would EVER let anything happen to her? NO! Go out and tell the three armies that this castle is protected by a monster or I'll burn you into ashes got it?" He let out a low growl before flying out and tossing him back down the hole he came out of.

"Natsu!" Lucy called. He flew back up to where she was.

"Lucy! Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" He asked frantically.

"I'm okay Natsu. I was just scared. I tried to fight them off but they were too powerful. Your whip works fine though. There were just too many of them." Lucy said as she hugged Natsu.

"Thank goodness you're okay Lucy..I guess I kinda lost it when I saw that guy going for you with that dagger." He sighed.

"Yeah. That was a little scary, you going berserk on those two. And what was up with your sword? Did I see it catch on fire?" She asked.

"Yeah. I imbued this sword with my own magic. Now, whenever I want, I can use that magic power to cover the sword in flames. Same with my armor. I'm a flame dragon so it doesn't hurt me if I'm on fire. I'm immune." He explained.

"Wow." Lucy awed. "What does the writing on the blade say? I can't read it."

"It's written in my native tongue. It says 'A dragon's power is in its heart and in its friends'. It means I draw strength from within myself and from those who support me. Looks like it's time to wrap things up outside. Let's go man the weapon." He said picking her up and flying her to the top of the castle where the weapon they built earlier was. "Scout! Where is the largest concentration of enemies?" Natsu shouted over to the wall.

"In front of the East Gate towards the north side! That seems to be where they are pooling together for an all out attack!" The scout replied.

"Alright. 30 degrees counter-clockwise, raising it 27 degrees. You fine tune it I'll get the ballistics ready." Natsu said. Lucy nodded and calibrated it while Natsu finished readying the ordinance.

"I'm done calibrating Natsu. Let's finish this." Lucy said with determination.

"Yeah. Let's teach them that nobody messes with us!" Natsu answered punching the air. He loaded the last barrels of powder onto the rack of the giant ballista that Natsu had designed and built. "I call it 'The Dragon's Breath Ballista'! Lucy, fire!" Natsu shouted. Lucy pulled the lever and a large barrel full of black powder, oil, and nails flew through the air and into the mass of enemies where it exploded and pierced the surrounding bodies. Barrel after barrel flew into the throng of fleeing enemies.

"Hey archer! Light it up!" Natsu ordered a nearby archer. He dipped the arrowhead in oil and set it aflame. He notched the arrow, drew back, and fired out in a seemingly odd place to shoot an arrow into. As soon as the arrow hit, a blazing wall of flame surrounded the castle walls trapping any enemy still inside the ring and killing any that was unfortunate enough to be caught on top of it. Chaos was ensuing as the enemy tried to retreat. Cries of surrender echoed throughout the armies on the ground outside the walls and white flags were waved. The war was over.

To Be Continued


	6. Chapter 6

The Tales of the Princess and the Dragon

Chapter 6

Coronation

The struggle for power had ended with the surrender of the three armies to the Heartfilia Kingdom. The assassination of Princess Lucy had failed and the reputation of there being a monster protecting the kingdom had spread through the other kingdoms in the region. Many weeks had passed since the Siege of the Three Armies as it came to be called and even though there was once again peace and stability in the region and trade was reestablished between the various kingdoms, there was still a small problem concerning the princess.

"My Lady, in order for you to attain the throne and rule this fine kingdom, you must first find a prince worthy to rule alongside." The chancellor informed Lucy for what must have been the hundredth time this month.

"Yes, Chancellor. Except I have already found a prince who is more than worthy enough for me to govern the people beside. He is brave, kind, powerful, ingenious, and smart when it comes to tactics even though when by himself, he would just as soon charge in than making a plan." She replied with no small amount of bounce in her step at the thought of the rosy haired warrior who worked most of the day and stood guard at her door every night, upon the princess's wishes of course.

"Oh? And who might this be, Your Highness?" The chancellor asked, knowing well who it was. It was the only man in all of the four kingdoms who could make her act like that.

"His name is Natsu Dragneel. Master Blacksmith by the age of 16, made a knight just a few weeks ago, and my personal bodyguard. Not to mention he saved my life during the siege when a group of assassins tried to kill me. Plus he singlehandedly designed, forged, and equipped our military with the best armor and weapons in all of Fiore and maybe even the world. He was the one who designed the weapon you see on top of the castle and upgraded all our defenses. Plus I've known him ever since I was a child." She replied.

"Of course, Princess. Except he's not royalty. He's just a blacksmith. An orphan. We have no records of his lineage or proof that he is royalty." He retorted.

"Yes Chancellor. But he says he's a prince. And in the multitude of years that I have known him, he has never once lied to me or tried to hide anything from me. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be off. Good day, Chancellor." And with a bow, Princess Lucy was off to visit Natsu.

"Good day, Princess! What brings you to my shop today?" Natsu asked with a playful bow. "Might I interest Her Majesty in some new plate mail? How about an upgrade to your whip?"

"No thank you, kind sir." She giggled. "I actually needed to talk to you about something if you have the time that is."

"Sure." He set his hammer on his anvil and dusted himself off before putting up a sign saying he would be back later. "What's on your mind, Lucy?" He asked as they strolled through the market.

"I was just talking to the chancellor about the future king. He was saying that I needed to find someone, I told him I had and that it was you, and he said we don't have any records or proof that you are of royal descent. I think you need to inform the townspeople now, Natsu. It'll be okay. The people know what you've done for them. They won't abandon you. And neither will I." She took his hand and they walked back to the blacksmith forge.

"I don't know. I don't want to spook the townspeople. I would rather keep this secret for as long as I can. You can just announce that you have found a prince to marry and introduce me and I'll just say I'm a prince from a far away land who was looking for my father when I came here as a child. The people should buy that. They'll probably appreciate a king who worked hard all of his life anyways. How's that sound?" He asked.

"Yeah you're probably right. It would be taking a pretty big risk. But what if nobody buys that you are a prince?" She replied.

"Hm..I don't know. Either way is a pretty big risk. But I think I just had an idea." He beamed. "I'll tell ya as soon as I get it finished! I'm gonna go work on it now! I'll see you tonight!" He shouted as he ran back to his forge. He was going to forge the perfect solution for everything. A few days later, Natsu asked Lucy to meet him on the hill they had sat on the night before the war.

"Hey Natsu, what did you want to see me about?" Lucy asked as she sat down beside Natsu.

"You know that idea I had a few days ago? Well, I've been working on it


	7. Chapter 7

A few months after the coronation, King Natsu and Queen Lucy had already made great progress in improving the Dragneel Kingdom and stabilizing the region. Advanced training was already underway for the Dragneel army to be able to fight against several enemies at a time and for the ranged units to be able to fire at high speeds with great accuracy. Natsu had even finished working on the juggernaut armor for the bigger troops to be able to take a much larger number of hits and keep fighting. Lucy had already begun to improve the economy with her ideas and had steadily repaired the damage done by her father's actions during his time of grief. The entire kingdom had expanded greatly and was now the largest kingdom in all of Fiore. But the greatest adventure was just about to begin.

"Hey Natsu, I need to talk to you about something." Lucy said as they sat down for breakfast.

"Sure Luce. What's on your mind?" Natsu asked through a mouthful of eggs.

"Um..Well...I don't exactly know how to tell you this..." She said hesitantly. Natsu stood and walked behind her to wrap his arms around her. He rested his chin on her shoulder and pulled her up.

"What is it Princess?" Natsu asked kissing her cheek. She giggled and turned to look at him.

"I'm not a princess anymore, silly. But...there might be one living with us soon..." She said slowly.

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked totally unaware of what was about to be said.

"Um...How do I put this...there's going to be a prince or a princess in the nursery in a few months...not adopted..." Lucy drummed her fingers on her stomach.

"Oh." All of the color drained from Natsu's face as he sat back down. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. "So you're..." He pointed at Lucy.

"Yes.." She replied encouraging him to continue processing her words.

" And we're gonna have a..." He gestured between the two of them.

"Or more."

"And I'm gonna be a..." He finished.

"Yes. We're gonna be parents Natsu!" Lucy said crying tears of joy.

"I could have a son...?" Natsu breathed. "But I don't know a thing about what being a father is supposed to be like. Neither of us do. What's...What's gonna happen? I don't know anything about parenting." Natsu said burying his face in the table. Lucy sat beside him and ran her fingers through his rosy hair.

"It's okay. We'll figure this out, my dear. Don't worry. We'll be better parents than ours were. We'll just take it one day at a time. We'll make it through this alright." She soothed. Natsu looked up at her and pressed his forehead against hers.

"Yeah. Thanks Princess." He replied with a smile.

Months later, Lucy was holding an infant with small light-red scales here and there on his body.

"Hm. Those are interesting marks your son has, My Lady." The royal doctor contemplated after verifying that the baby was indeed healthy. Natsu allowed a few red scales to appear on his arms.

"Yeah I've got some of those too. Must be from my side of the family." He replied to the doctor.

"I see, My King. Other than that though, I see nothing wrong with the young prince besides these two small red slits just under his shoulder blades that I don't know what to make of. If anything happens, please do not hesitate to bring him to me. If you'll excuse me Your Highnesses." He said with a bow.

"Did you hear that Luce? Our son is gonna be fine! I thought for sure something would happen since I am a dragon and you're a human. Wow. Our son, a perfect mix of dragon and human." He awed looking down at the little miracle.

"Yeah I can hardly believe it either. I'm a mother...and of a half dragon no less. Natsu, what are we going to name him?" Lucy sighed.

"How about Ignis?" Natsu suggested.

"Ignis. After your father. I think that's a wonderful name, Natsu." She smiled looking back down at baby Ignis. "Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime, my dear. You're a father now."

"Yeah. And there's no one I would rather share this adventure with other than you, my princess." He replied.

Days passed, turning into months, and months into years until three years had passed in the blink of an eye. More improvements were being made to the kingdom since the coronation such as improved armor and weapons and more damage reversed in the economy. More trade routes were being established between further and smaller kingdoms across the country to improve the overall economy of Fiore as well. Meanwhile, inside the Dragneel castle, things were progressing smoothly. Ignus was growing to be a healthy human-dragon hybrid and was learning about and how to control his already developing powers. Queen Lucy was ready to have a new edition to the family as well.

"Ignus," Natsu said as he was teaching his son how to control his wings and fly. "You're going to grow up to be a great dragon boy. You will be a powerful man and you will be the champion of your friends and this kingdom. That's the way! Ignus, you're flying! Keep going! Yes! That's my boy! Flying at three years old. I couldn't fly until I was four or five. That's my boy. Lucy! Our son can fly! Come out here!" Natsu shouted through the open window. Lucy came waddling out of the castle as fast as she could with the baby on the way. Ignus, seeing an opportunity to impress, flew up into the air and flew in circles around the two.

"Daddy look! Flying!" Ignus cried in delight. His small wings gave out and he plopped into his father's arms with a smile. He ruffled his son's wild blonde hair and tickled him under the arms receiving a squeal of laughter.

"That's not good." Lucy said with a look of worry written on her face.

"What's wrong Luce?" Natsu asked her walking over to her before stopping in his tracks a few feet away from her. "That's one strong heartbeat. I can hear it from here. It sounds like our kid is ready to come on out. Let's go get the doctor!" He ran to the doctor's quarters in the castle wing beside theirs and brought him to their bedroom where Lucy was.

"Another one with the same birthmarks except these are pink this time. Is there anything I should know, Your Highnesses?" The doctor asked cocking an eyebrow at the two. Natsu and Lucy exchanged a look.

"If you needed to know, we would tell you, good doctor. Is she healthy is what I want to know though." He responded.

"Yes, my king. Your daughter is very healthy. She is going to be a great princess just like your son will be a great prince as far as I can tell. Nothing to worry about. Now then. If you'll excuse me, it's very late and I have urgent matters to attend to such as sleeping. Queen Lucy, King Natsu." He replied with a bow and a salute. He shuffled back to his living quarters and disappeared through the doorway.

"So that happened. Again." Natsu commented. "But hey she's healthy! What should we name her, Princess?" He asked. Lucy tapped her chin in thought and looked at Ignus.

"How about Layla? After my mother. Everyone says she was an excellent queen in all honesty and I want to do her honor." She decided.

"That sounds perfect, Lucy." Natsu responded with a smile. "How about it, Ignus? How about calling your sister Layla?"

"Lay-la!" Ignus replied having slight trouble with the articulation resulting in laughter filling the room.

Three years later, Natsu had successfully taught Ignus what he was exactly, the bridge between the human people and the rest of the dragons still living among the humans. He also taught him how to control his appearance to look like a full human which wasn't hard since he was already halfway there, but he had to teach him how to alter his appearance to turn into a full dragon which was difficult for Natsu since he was full dragon and not half. Ignus learned how to breathe fire, fly, control his appearance, cloak his fists in fire, and use his heightened dragon senses, but that was the extent of his powers. Although these were the extent of his powers and couldn't do many of the things his father could such as cloaking his entire body in fire, forge dragonmetal like his father, or fly as fast as him, he could cloak certain parts of his body in fire which would make him lethal in close quarters combat in later years, he was extremely agile in both human and dragon form while flying even for a dragon kid as young as he was. He could control where his fire went to an extent but would give him more control over it in time and he could see and hear as well as Natsu could. Layla, their long pink haired daughter, was progressing at the same rate except in smarts. At the age of three, she was already speaking full sentences and was doing math and solving riddles. At the same time she was progressing in brain power, she was also honing her skills with her blade-like claws, flying, and fire breathing as well. Her scales were pink like her hair and although she was speaking full complex sentences, she was shy, reserved, and slightly timid but she was also head strong like her brother and could figure out a way around problems. A horse came galloping at full speed through the front gates and then the inner gates with an unconscious rider.

"Woah there horse. Let's see what you've got there. Lucy could you please go fetch the doctor while I get this man into a room? Ignus, could you please go prepare a sandwich and a bucket of water for the man and bring it to the guest room?" Natsu asked them. They went to ease the unconscious rider off the horse when he grabbed Natsu's arm.

"No my liege. I...have a message. An invasion...two months...hundred thousand monsters...coming for you...Acno...paper in my...pouch..." He rasped as he fell onto Natsu unconscious again. He put the rider on his back and carried him to the guest room inside so the royal doctor could examine him while Ignus brought the food and water.

"He'll be fine. He just needs some sleep and plenty of water when he wakes up. He must have ridden for several days without stopping long at all. He's severely exhausted and he'll most likely sleep for two to three days after he drinks more water." He explained. "It's good you brought me a patient like this. I was beginning to think that all I was good for was just checkups on your children and delivering babies. Come get me if his condition worsens. I must be off. Your Highnesses." He bowed and left. Natsu left to go retrieve the pack the horse was carrying and found the paper the scout was talking about.

"It says that there is an invasion force of about one hundred thousand monsters and beasts headed straight for us. Their leader, Acno, was reported to rant about dragons and how he's killed several including..." He stopped reading and fell to his knees as tears began to pour down his face. "So that's why you never came back for me, Father."


	8. Chapter 8

The Tales of the Princess and the Dragon

Chapter 8

The Journey of a Thousand Leagues

"So that's why you never came for me, Father." Natsu said as his knees hit the floor of the castle kitchen.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Lucy asked rushing to his side.

"I… He…." Natsu was choking back tears refusing to let himself break in front of his wife.

"It's okay, my love. Take your time." She soothed as she sat beside him and rubbed his shoulders. Natsu composed himself after a minute.

"He's gone, Lucy. Father is dead. Killed by Acno. Acno struck down the Red King. How could he send me off all alone into a strange country with no one to talk to, no one to turn to, an outcast in every way?" Natsu clenched his fists until his knuckles were white trying to keep back his tears.

"But you weren't alone, darling. Not for very long anyways. You had me remember?" Lucy whispered in his ear. "You never have been, and you never will be alone ever again. Igneel is still with you. As long as you keep him in your heart, he's still with you." Natsu let out all his pain and tears unable to hold them back any longer. He buried his face into Lucy's shoulder as his tears soaked her shirt. She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back soothingly. After he finished mourning his father's death, he stood up with Lucy and picked up the paper with the message.

"Thank you, Lucy." He said with red eyes. He looked down and read the rest of the message. "It says Acno is bringing a hundred thousand monsters and beasts, our army is only about thirty thousand strong. Even with the combined might of the other kingdoms, they would be no match for beasts and monsters. It also says that they will be arriving in two to three months based on their travel speed. This isn't looking good Luce." He looked at her with concern written all over his face.

"What are we going to do? They outnumber us three-to-one. What about the armor and weapons you made? Will those not even the odds?" Lucy asked worried.

"I don't know if they will or not. Normally, it would be an even fight if it were against humans. But monsters and beasts…I don't have time to make armor and weapons and equip the other kingdoms with it. We're going to need help. I have an idea but I'm going to have to leave for a month or so." He responded.

"What? Why? Where are you going to go?" She replied. Natsu hugged her.

"I'm going to go find my people. I can't be the only one living in the human realm. I'm going to search all the towns for other dragons using my keen sense of smell. But if that doesn't work, I'm going to fly up into the mountains and call them using the same roar my father would use whenever he needed to gather the people from across the realm and hope they'll answer. Tell someone to setup a beacon on top of the Great Cliffs and to keep it lit morning, noon, and night until Acno and his army arrives. I will return in time to prepare for war. Tell the kids to come in here. I have to leave straight away." He explained.

"Natsu, are you sure you can make it in time and bring the dragons?" Lucy asked fearful of the future. Natsu took her face in his hands and brought her forehead to meet his.

"You believe in me don't you? You know I can do this. You're my princess. I have to protect you and our children as well as this kingdom. Besides. If we don't stop Acno, who will? Lucy, I swear I will return with my people's help and I will protect our people." He swore. "Ignus, Layla, come in here for a minute." The two dragon children walked in to the kitchen and sat down at the table with their parents.

"I've got to go away for a while. Some bad monsters are coming to our kingdom to destroy it but I'm not going to let that happen. A particularly bad man is leading them. He's the reason you never met your grandfather. But that's why I'm going to go bring some friends to help fight his army so that I can crush the bad man. I want you two to help your mother in any way you can. Ignus, you take care of Layla and your mother while I'm gone. I'll be back in around a month. I love you all so much." Natsu told them before wrapping them up in a bear hug. "Lucy, address the kingdom. Tell them to prepare for war in two months. If anybody needs any extra equipment, I've got plenty in the armory. Son, could you go grab my cloak and my bag of coins? Thank you. Kids, do as your mother tells you. I'll be back in a month."

"Don't go Daddy." Layla said tugging on his sleeve before he could walk out the door. She looked up at him with big brown eyes like Lucy's. He knelt down and kissed the top of her head.

"I have to pumpkin. I have to go find my friends so that I can keep everyone safe. I can't do this alone. I'll be back soon. I promise." He said with a smile.

"Be careful Daddy." Layla said hugging his neck.

"I will be. I have to go now. I love you." He kissed each of them on the head and hurried out the door. He took on his true form, a large red-scaled dragon, and took to the skies towards the nearest towns hoping to come across the distinct scent of his own kind. He landed outside of the first town and put his cloak on along with his scarf. He pulled the hood over his head and walked into town following the scent of a dragon to a nearby pub dimly lit with torches and candles with the lingering smell of ale and cider on the air. He walked in and spied a hooded figure sitting in the half light of the shadows sipping from a flask of ale alone in the corner.

"Hey, I'm looking for someone. He's not from around these parts but I know he's here somewhere." Natsu said leaning up against the wall beside him. The hooded man didn't look up from his drink, his face shrouded by his hood.

"You smell familiar." He finally said. He removed his hood to turn and look at Natsu. "Who are you?" Natsu flashed a toothy grin from under his hood.

"My name is Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel, King of the Dragneel Kingdom several leagues to the west, and King of the Red Flames as my father before me was. You smell like a fire dragon. Who might you be?"Natsu replied. The stranger's eyes widened at the strange pink haired man's proclamation.

"My lord," he bowed as best he could without drawing attention to himself. He looked around making sure nobody had overheard them. "My name is Atlas. Atlas Brynestone. I come from a family of firebreathers as well. But my lord, how did you find me and why have you come if you are now running a kingdom? Should you not be back in our realm ensuring peace?" Atlas asked. He stood up and was basked in the glow of the nearby torches revealing age worn facial features, an orangey red beard and hair like a mane covering his face. His shoulders were broad and his muscles were large and toned with rippling blood vessels coursing through his arms.

"I said I was king of the Dragneel Kingdom. I have a family and humans to protect. I even have children who are half human half dragon. I must protect them. Which brings me to why I'm here to talk to you. There's an evil coming for my kingdom from another land named Acno. He's hunting me and has been hunting dragons. He's the one who killed Igneel. He's bringing an army of a hundred thousand monsters and beasts and will be here within three month's time. I only have thirty thousand troops but they are armored with incredibly durable and strong armor I personally made during my time as a blacksmith. Best in the entire continent. If it were against normal humans, it would be an even fight. But since my people are up against such an unearthly force, I parted from the side of my wife for the first time in twenty years and came in search of aide from my kin. I ask that you lend me your aide in my time of need, Atlas. Would Igneel have done no less for your kin?" Natsu said. "There's a beacon on the Great Cliffs east of my castle. Just fly west and you'll see it. We'll make a battle plan there a few days before Acno should get there. Find all the dragons you can within a month and bring them with you to meet me in the kingdom once you're done. I'm counting on you, Atlas Brynestone. I must go search for others. I shall see you in a month." With a wave, Natsu took off for the forest on the edge of town and flew towards his next destination. There, he met the fire and ice twins, Tetra and Storm, two dragons who looked to be 16 years of age and were inseparable. At the end of the month, Natsu returned to the Dragneel territory and sat atop the Great Cliffs at their highest peak. He summoned his power and let out a mighty bellow that shook the very foundations of the continent. This roar was the roar that the King of Dragons used only during the time of great peril to dragon-kind to amass a great army to combat it. The roar was heard farther than any mountain, any town, or any ocean on the map. It was heard to the depths of the earth, over wide extending plains, and to the peaks of the highest mountaintops. Natsu went and stood by the gate as the dragons gathered there.

"Is this everybody, Atlas?" Natsu asked as he led more than ten thousand dragons into the castle grounds.

"No, King Natsu, we have more and more answering the call every day. We have reports of dragons from all over coming to aide us in the great battle to come. We are even getting reports of Leviathan, Gargantia, and Goliath from across the Great Sea coming here to help us fight! Three of the Great Descendents of the Ancients! They will be here within two weeks time along with the rest of our army." Atlas replied confidently.

"Very good! I didn't know my roar had traveled so far as to reach the ends of the earth! I shall setup more beacons for the remaining forces to meet at. Come. Let us go and make our friends feel at home. Tell our comrades to meet at the square in the center of Castle Town for an important announcement and to be ready to show the world their true forms." Natsu commanded as he placed a hand on Atlas's shoulder. He took off to the castle grounds ordering all the town criers to tell the people to assemble in the square before he ran into the castle to tell Lucy.

"Natsu are you serious?!" Lucy exclaimed. "Are you sure the people will just accept the fact that there are dragons and that one is ruling them?"

"Don't worry about it my love. Everything will be just fine. Tell the kids to get ready and to come with us." He answered.

"You can't be serious Natsu. What if things don't go as planned? What if the people turn against us?" Lucy inquired.

"They won't. We've been good to them. We have advanced their way of life and they love us. Besides. Dragons are our only chance to win this war. Don't worry Luce. Okay? Ignus! Layla! Let's go!" With a swish of his cloak, the family was off to change life as they knew it in the Dragneel Kingdom.

"My loyal citizens of the Dragneel Kingdom, your King, Natsu Dragneel, would like to address to you something of great importance. Please lend him your ears and attention!" Queen Lucy announced from atop the balcony of the building. All the people bowed as King Natsu emerged from the doorway with the two children by his side.

"My loyal subjects! No, my friends, my family." He shouted addressing the masses. "There is a great evil approaching! One that we cannot hope to defeat by ourselves or even allied with the armies of our neighbors. But there is still another way. You all know me as King Natsu Dragneel of the Dragneel Kingdom. Most of you know me as Fiore's greatest blacksmith. But only my dear wife and children know me for who I truly am underneath this skin. There are ten thousand or more among you in this crowd who do not belong to this world. Who were not born here but yet were raised and lived here. Many of you have suffered the same fate as I growing up. All alone for years and years never being able to confide in another soul for fear that they would judge you a monster. No, I was the lucky one. Even before this kingship. For I met a small girl who grew to be my biggest dream come true and each and every day, she is still making that dream come true with my children! You who are from the land of Fiore, hear me now! I am your king! This is my wife! These are my children! My name is Natsu Dragneel, the Red King of Dragons as my father, Igneel, was and his father before him! I came to you from a far off land in seek of him not knowing he was struck down by an evil you could not comprehend. I came and lived as one of you, became one of you, worked and sweated and laughed and cried as one of you, and raised a family as one of you! But the time to be what I truly am has come. If you recall the flaming protector of this kingdom that was rumored years ago," He proclaimed. Lucy told Ingus and Layla to get ready to become dragons.

"I. AM. THAT. PROTECTOR!" He declared. He turned into a full dragon and flew to the adjacent rooftop outstretching his wings. The ten thousand dragons all went full dragon and took to the skies darkening the city. The two dragon children flew and landed beside Natsu.

"These dragons are our only hope of surviving the evil that is coming! Do not be afraid!" He shouted over the roar of the crowd. When the panic wouldn't subside, he let out an ear shattering roar instantly silencing the throng of panicked subjects. "We are your protectors! We are your friends! I have been one of you for more than twenty years and I will be one of you until I draw my last breath! As your king, I have sworn an oath to you, to my family, and to the kings before me to protect you from harm! And as Red King of Dragons, I am sworn to protect the dragons as well. Be not afraid. For when the time comes, we will defeat the enemy and send Acno back to the god forsaken crack in the earth he so foolishly dared to climb out of!" Natsu roared. Members of the crowd looked from one to another before finally beginning to cheer which turned to roars of approval.

"Daddy does this mean that we don't have to hide anymore?" Ignus asked, a smile on his face.

"That's right son. We can be dragons now and not have to hide anymore. What's more, you and Layla will make many friends before you get big. More friends than I ever dreamed of having at your age. " Natsu answered. As the onslaught of cheers continued, more and more dragons joined the circling throng overhead in a symphony of triumphant roars. Natsu looked to Lucy across the way and saw that she was beaming from ear to ear at the approval of the people. He stood atop the roof on all fours and roared once again.

"Guards!" Natsu shouted. "Set up beacons in the fields outside the walls! Carpenters! Construct makeshift garrisons for the dragons! Dragons! Let's get ready for war!"

To Be Continued


	9. Chapter 9

The Tales of the Princess and the Dragon

Chapter 9

The War Between Beasts and Legends

The war between the realm of humans which dragons now resided in and the army of beasts headed for stronghold of humanity, the Dragneel Kingdom in the land of Fiore, was less than a month away. Dragons continued to assemble just outside the castle gates as word of the war against an evil foe worthy of the might of dragons spread far and wide from town to town, region to region, and across the waves reaching every dragon who could not hear the call of their king. Young, old, big, small, dragons of every element and color were assembling in the courtyards and on rooftops together to greet old friends and meet family members now that they were not alone in the world anymore. The Great Descendents of the Ancients, Leviathan, Gargantia, and Goliath, had arrived a week after Natsu announced the existence of dragons among humans. Goliath, while still very much a colossal dragon, was the smallest of the three measuring one hundred and thirty feet tall with a wingspan of sixty feet. The human name he took upon himself was Hercules and his human form was nine feet and nine inches. Leviathan, the second in size, measured one hundred and seventy feet tall with a wingspan of eighty five feet. His human name that he decided on upon was Archipelago. His human form was eleven feet tall. Gargantia, the biggest of any living dragon, who cast a shadow upon multiple towns at a time when in flight, measured over four hundred feet tall with a wingspan of one hundred and ninety five feet. He chose not to have a human name but to be called Gargantia. His human form was comparable to a great tree. He towered over even those considered to be tall among the human race. He was considered a giant even among his brothers. These three, while not intending to be so, were thought of as loners and unsociable. They rarely communicated save for a shrug or audible grunt here and there but these three legends among legends were not the arrivals that caught Natsu's attention today. A pair of golden and brown scaled dragons flew in about mid day and landed in the castle courtyard where Natsu was laying down thinking about the upcoming war.

"Hello!" The two shouted down to Natsu. He looked their way and got up to greet them.

"Greetings. I'm King Nats-" He began.

"We know who you are, Natsu! Don't tell me you've forgotten your favorite cousins! It's us! Terra and Ellie!" The brown haired one explained.

"I apologize but I was very young when I left the old realm. I don't really remember much of anything from that world except the call I used to summon all the dragons here and the recipe for Red King's Curry." Natsu tried to explain.

"Wow, Ellie. I can't believe Aunt Rose had a child this forgetful." Terra, the brown haired one said to Ellie, the golden haired one. Natsu's eyes grew wide at the name he just heard.

"What…What did you just say?" Natsu asked nearly losing his composure. "Rose. Was that my mother's name? Did you know her?" Natsu asked feeling both hopeful and terrified at the same time.

"Oh that's right.." Ellie spoke up. "She died after having you..We're so sorry Natsu." The sisters looked away uncomfortably.

"It's okay. I just want to know about my mother. What was she like?" Natsu asked sitting down in the grass cross legged.

"Natsu, who's that? More dragons?" Lucy asked walking out of the castle with Layla in her arms and Ignus walking beside her.

"Lucy, apparently these are my cousins, Terra and Elle. Terra, Ellie, this is Lucy, my wife, and my children, Ignus and Layla. Say hi kids." Natsu said.

"Nice to meet you Terra and Ellie. How are you two related to Natsu?" She bowed to them before asking.

"Hi cousin Terra and cousin Ellie!" Ignus greeted them with a hug.

"Hello cousins!" The little genius Layla greeted from her mother's arms with a cute little smile.

"Hello kids!" The two greeted.

"So Terra, Ellie, please tell me about Rose. Tell me about my mother. Please." Natsu pleaded. Lucy and the kids gathered around Natsu in front of their two cousins as though it were story time.

"Okay then, cousin. We'd be glad to tell you about Aunt Rose." Ellie said.

"Aunt Rose was a magnificent woman. She loved everybody that was around her even when they weren't so friendly towards her. She loved humans with a passion and had compassion on them by helping them wherever she could discreetly of course. She had a magic power only a dragon like her could own. She had the power to heal others. She was smart, beautiful, patient with your hotheaded father and every other hothead that comes with being a flame dragon. But she was also a force to reckon with. Although she didn't condone violence, if you crossed a line or endangered her family, her temper was hotter than Igneel's flames ever thought about being. This one time, there was a dissenter in the flame dragon clan who didn't like the fact that Igneel was the Red King so he decided he was going to rally other dissenters and take the throne." Terra told the story with excitement and emotion in her eyes.

"They jumped him while he was sleeping in his cavern and quite nearly had him." Ellie butted in. "There were forty or so dissenters but had they properly gauged the fury and sheer soul freezing terror that Aunt Rose, your mother, could inflict, they would have never even thought about trying to eliminate Igneel. With one glare and a low growl, the Flaming Queen sent the other dragons flying out of the cavern with their tails between their legs. I mean that quite literally too. That was just one of the stories passed down by our mother, Rose's sister, Lily. Your mother was incredible and ferocious and there was never a single soul nor will ever be that could ever have stood its ground against her and her glare. Even that wild father of yours couldn't refuse the wishes of Rose if she gave him the look. She was stubborn as Igneel too. It's hard to decide where you got the stubbornness from. Uncle Igneel or Aunt Rose. If Aunt Rose wanted something you could bet the cave it was going to get done. To think. A woman like that marrying a man like that and having a kid together. No wonder you turned out like this. With their blood running through you, you not only will be a great king and powerful dragon, but you will also bring about the dawn of a new era. One where dragons and humans shall coexist. Or at least that's what we think. Right, Terra?" Ellie finished.

"Right, Sis." The brunette agreed.

"My mom sounded amazing. You hear that, children? Your Grandma Rose was an incredible dragon! Just like the two of you are going to be." Natsu told them while fighting back tears of pride.

"That's right." Lucy said. "You two are going to be amazing children. After we beat the evil creatures, you two aren't going to grow up like me, stuck up in the castle all day. You two are going to have many friends. And you will learn earn the title of king and queen when you get older." Natsu and Lucy kissed their children on the head.

"Well. I guess it's time to get started on those war plans. Let's go, Ellie and Terra." Natsu said and led them into the largest room in the castle after gathering all the dragons and captains together.

"Okay everybody, here's how we're going to do this." Natsu shouted so everyone could hear him. "The battle is going to take place at Sleeping Gulch just south of the Great Canyon. They have a hundred thousand monsters along with a man who can somehow manage to kill a dragon. But we've got forty thousand altogether because of the ten thousand dragons who so graciously came to our aide including the Great Descendants of the Ancients, Goliath, Leviathan, and Gargantia. Dragons, we have been making weapons for you day and night with the help of those who are blacksmiths among you. We don't have time enough to make the armor but I doubt you'd use it anyways. The three Descendants are going to go in first and take out as many as they can before pulling back to soften them up. The dragons will split up. One dragon for every three humans. Make sure that the dragon next to you can complement your magic type. Lightning with water, fire with ice, and so on. Captains, your men will form up on either side of the dragons in a V shape with the dragons on the front lines. We can take quite a hit and are very formidable foes. With the help of my kin and the human fighting spirit, this will be an even fight! We'll force them back into the canyon with our siege equipment and fire archers and that's when me and my kin will swoop in and deliver divine retribution upon the heads of those that would threaten our families, our children, out very way of life! With our flames, thunder, ice, earth, floods, strength, and heart, we will crush this enemy and ensure the safety of the future for our children and our children's children!" Natsu shouted rallying them all. "We have half a month to get the siege equipment ready. I want all of you to practice formations with each other to get a feel for what it's like to work with the other. Dragons, I know that most of you tend to be loners but this is the only way we'll beat this sinister force. Together. " They all left and began training while Natsu went to take care of other important matters.

"We have all of the necessary components but it would help if we had more men to build them with. We don't have that many engineers." The captain of the engineers told him.

"Very well. Go get a few of the guards to help you or get some of the citizens to help you. The castle staff is also at your disposal. I want a hundred of these built and I also want wheels put on all the ballista." Natsu ordered. They bowed and got to work.

"Hey Natsu?" Lucy asked in front of the castle where they were sitting on a swing.

"Yes, Lucy?" He replied.

"Are you going to be okay after the war starts? I don't want to lose you…" She said quietly. Natsu stopped the swing and put his arms around her.

"Of course I am. I'm not gonna let our children grow up without a father. And I certainly am not going to let them grow up without a mother. I'm going to protect all of you." He put his forehead against hers and brought her close.

"Okay, Natsu." She whispered. "I believe you."

One month later and the tension in the air was palpable. The teams were formed, the divisions were set, and the army was outfitted with dragonmetal gear. Natsu was with his family at the kids' favorite eatery in town where Natsu had given them the secret recipe for Red Curry. Although it wasn't quite as good as how Natsu made it, the town loved every bit of it and so did Ignus and Layla.

"Father, are you about to go beat up the monsters now?" The small blonde asked with his sister looking up at her father in wonder as well.

"That's right, son." He replied ruffling his blonde hair. "I'm going to go beat up the monsters so you won't have to worry about anybody wanting to hurt you ever. Their leader is the reason you don't know your grandfather so I'm going to send him back to wherever he came from and make sure he never tries to hurt anybody ever again. The Dragneel army will win and we will protect this land so that you and Layla can go on adventures outside of this kingdom and explore the vast world without fear of them ever hurting you. How's that sound, Ig?"

"Go get them, Daddy!" Ignus cried as he punched the air. He was becoming more and more like Natsu every day.

"Be careful, Daddy!" Layla said looking like she was about to cry. Natsu pulled all three of his family members into a big group hug and kissed them all on top of the head.

"Don't worry. Nothing can stop me once I get serious." He said with a grin.

The Dragneel Army began their seven leagues march to the field of battle to meet the forces of Acno. The legions of beasts and monsters were all amassed out on Sleeping Gulch nipping at each other, hungry for human flesh and battle and in the middle, was a white haired figure with sharpened teeth, Acno. The Dragneel Army was now formed in one giant block with the archers and engineer corps setting up on the hill with Natsu, dressed in red dragon armor, in front of the front line. He turned and looked his army in the eye.

"Brothers and sisters! We all have loved ones we are about to fight to protect! Wives, brothers, sons and daughters, children not even born yet! These evil creatures have dared invade our land and threatened us and our families! Our children no less! And though their numbers be many, and we be few, we will not falter! We will not waver in our determination to destroy every last one of them in this war to protect our loved ones! We will prevail! Our hearts burning with the desire to protect our families and each other will be our strength as well as each other! Now prepare to charge because we are about to tear some fools up." He drew the Dragon's Fang from its sheath and let out a roar. He charged and the archers fired their arrows piercing through one or two beasts at a time. All ballista fired at once along with the hundred Dragon's Breath Ballista as they all darkened the skies above and fell upon the creatures of evil below.

Natsu, leading the charge, was joined by Atlas who burned his enemies and left the smell of charred flesh in his wake, Ellie, who used her lightning magic to cast lightning from above down onto her enemies and used her chain lightning technique to kill all enemies who were bunched up leaving the smell of boiling flesh, and Terra, who crushed her foes to dust with landslides, pitfalls, and the strength of the earth. The Dragon's Breath Ballista fired rapidly into the densely packed monsters shredding them and setting them ablaze. Goliath took on dozens of enemies at a time with no problem whatsoever but found his limit to be in the mid forties which was approaching fast with more and more enemies converging on him. However he could take out nearly one hundred with a breath attack that blew them all away. Leviathan could take on eighty or so with his buster sword and three hundred with his breath attack that reduced everything to dust. Gargantia, standing four hundred feet tall, could take on thousands without hesitating and destroyed five thousand at a time with his concentrated magic breath attack, Roar of the Ancients. Natsu cut down hundreds of beasts with his enchanted sword and breath attacks. Slashing upwards, decapitating heads, severing limbs and cutting entire foes in half with his might, Natsu blazed a trail towards the devil Acno himself as Ellie, Terra, and Atlas became cut off from Natsu. He was now surrounded by countless monsters who stood ten feet tall and five feet wide that smelled like death and evil. They all lunged at him simultaneously.

"You shall not have me, monsters!" Natsu yelled defiantly as they all landed on top of him. Suddenly, a bright and piercing light shone through the gaps between the monsters. They were incinerated to the point where not even ashes were left behind as Natsu's entire body was cloaked in the flames of determination. Another creature jumped at him and without even looking, he grabbed it one handedly by the face with a flaming hand and threw it into another ten engulfing them all in flames. He finally fought his way to Acno in the center of the mass where there was a clearing.

"Acno." Natsu said with bitterness dripping off his tongue.

"You must be Natsu Dragneel, the new Red King of Flame Dragons." Acno said with a lazy drawl as the two walked in a circle. "It would appear that your giant dragon over there is posing a large problem to my army. I guess I shall have to remedy that, won't I?" He summoned a horn made out of a black dragon fang. He blew it and laughed an evil laugh as the ground started to shake.

"What-What have you done, Acno?!" Natsu yelled nearly losing his balance.

"Did you honestly think you dragons were the only ones who could use magic? I have just summoned the fourth and final Great Descendant, Titan!" A mighty and colossal dragon broke through the ground between them as Acno leaped onto his head as it rose to full height.

"That thing's even bigger than Gargantia!" Natsu muttered to himself. He flew towards Gargantia and landed on his head. "Hey, big guy! Your big brother is coming this way! Think you can handle him? I'll bring your other brothers over to help you out!" He flew down and alerted the others who came to join Gargantia in the air beside him. Natsu flew to the top of Titan's head and drew his sword before Acno.

"Acno! This ends here!"Natsu shouted, pointing the Dragon's Fang at him. Titan and the three Great Descendants crashed into each other while Acno and Natsu battled on top of Titan. Acno brought his hands together and summoned a ball of energy launching black orbs at Natsu who parried them and batted them away.

"Hm..So you are at least a little bit skilled with the sword. Now try this!" Acno smirked before summoning ten orbs at once and sending them flying at him from all directions. Natsu closed his eyes and focused for a split second.

"Hyaah!" He yelled as he spun around deflecting all ten. He then rushed Acno tackling him off of Titan's head as Gargantia's claws raked his crown all the way down his face eliciting a roar of pain and anger from the eldest brother. Natsu had wrapped Acno up and was now hurtling towards the ground hundreds of feet below. Natsu was going to make absolutely sure that Acno died. They both fought as they fell, Acno throwing more magic blasts at Natsu and Natsu deftly dodging them all while trying to land a hit on Acno. Natsu spread his wings at the last second and glided safely down while Acno cast a bubble shield and crashed into the earth unharmed.

"You will not kill me, son of Igneel!" Acno shouted.

"You are not worthy to speak that name! You shall pay for your transgressions against my brothers and sisters and for threatening my family's safety!" He retorted. Acno summoned a hailstorm of magic bolts and sent them flying at Natsu who rushed him, deflecting the bolts with his shield and closing the distance between. Acno pulled a dagger from his sleeve and pointed it at Natsu.

"Do you see this, child? This is the weapon I used to kill your weak father with! This is the Dragon's Bane! This is the weapon I created personally to kill dragons! It deals death to you and your scum of kinsmen because of the enchantment I have placed on it! You will die a most painful d-" Acno was cut off.

"Shut up already!" Natsu yelled angrily as he swung at him, cutting off a few strands of hair.

"Insolent fool! You'll pay for tha-!" The air was forced out of his lungs at he was drop kicked by Natsu into a nearby boulder.

"If that's how it's going to be." Acno brushed himself off. He lunged at Natsu with the Dragon's Bane which Natsu deftly spun around and hit Acno with his shield knocking him off balance before thrusting his blade towards him. Acno parried it with a magic shield and stabbed Natsu in the chest. Natsu could hear the calls of Ellie, Terra, Atlas, and other nearby dragons as he fell to the ground. The two thoughts floating in his mind were the fact that the dagger must have been made out of dragonmetal and that Lucy and the kids were going to be mad when they found out. As his head hit the dirt, everything went black.

To Be Continued


	10. Chapter 10

The Tales of the Princess and the Dragon

Chapter 10

Unstoppable, Indomitable, Unbreakable

The blackness had swallowed the King of the Dragneel Kingdom after his intense battle with the sorcerer, Acno. He could feel himself floating in the half oblivion, unaware of where he was but aware that he was still conscious. For the first time in many long years, he felt cold, as he floated in the blackness of the void. Suddenly, a slight warmth bathed him and steadily grew until he felt warm to his soul.

"Natsu…" A gruff voice called.

"Wake up Natsu.." A sweet voice called to him.

"Natsu!" The gruff one yelled. Natsu opened his eyes with a start to find himself laying in a bed of grass with the sunshine bathing him from horn to tail. He sat up and looked around to find a large red scaled dragon beside a smaller pink scaled dragon. His eyes started to well up uncontrollably before the tears began to stream down his face.

"Mom….? Dad…?" He stood and ran to them embracing them both.

"Hello, son." Rose greeted with a sweet and motherly smile that only mothers wear as she hugged her son.

"Hey there, Natsu. We are so proud of you! You've become a fine king of the two races and have even created peace and have given birth to the ones who will create stability between the two. We couldn't have asked for a better son than you Natsu." Igneel said as he puffed out his chest and embraced his son.

"Thank you both…" Natsu said quietly still unable to halt the flow of tears of emotion. He stopped hugging them and looked at them both, taking a step back. "But..But aren't you two dead? That must mean…Wait am I dead? Oh no Acno killed me! Lucy! The kids! Our people.." He took on his human form, dropped to his knees, and covered his face with his hands before beating the ground with his fists in a rage.

"Natsu. You aren't dead yet. You have a choice to make." Rose said rubbing his back with her human hands.

"What? What choice?" He asked.

"The choice to get back up and fight." Igneel cut in. "You have a family. A wife and kids to protect. You have the other dragons to protect, a kingdom to protect. They all are your family. From the moment you became king, they became your family and it is your duty as king to protect them! That is what being a king is about. Not a crown, not power alone, but the power to protect those who cannot protect themselves!"

"But Acno killed me. He has the Dragon's Bane, the blade that killed you, Father." Natsu replied.

"I let him. I let him because I wanted you to go out into the human world and become a great ruler, a hero among the people. It was time that the age of the dragons and the age of man ended to make way for an age of peace and prosperity between the two. I cannot express my sorrow from having to leave you alone in this world for so long and at such a young age. I hope you can forgive me, son." Igneel explained.

"So this whole time, you actually had sent me away, so you could die, I could be part of the human world, and unite the dragons and humans as one army to destroy those who would threaten us, and bring about an era of peace and prosperity? " Natsu asked.

"That's right, Natsu." His mother agreed. "And we've been watching over you the entire time. And look how well you've done. "  
"You wouldn't believe how happy I am to see you…but how do I get back to the battlefield and protect my family?" Natsu asked.

"I have the power to restore life. You have not succumbed to death yet which means I can restore you, even though I am long dead. Natsu, before I revive you, don't forget, we both love you very much, we are so proud of you, and we live on inside of you. You can do it." Rose said with a proud smile.

"That's right, Natsu. Don't worry about us. We'll see each other again in the next life. Now get back out there and show that pathetic Acno what a real dragon is made of! We love you son." Igneel said with the smile Natsu inherited from him.

"I will, Dad. You don't have to worry about me anymore. I made a promise to my children and to Lucy that I would come back safely. And I made a promise to King Jude that I would protect this kingdom with my life. I love you, Mom. I love you, Dad. See you in the next life!" Natsu shouted as Rose cast her healing magic on him.

"I have slain your king! King Natsu Dragneel is dead! Bow before your new ruler, Acno the Destroyer!" Acno shouted from in front of Natsu's bleeding form. The battle between the three younger Descendants and Titan still waged all over the battlefield. A cough sounded from behind Acno as shock, anger, and disbelief clouded his expression. He turned to find the blood rushing back into Natsu's chest wound and sealing up.

"Not dead yet, you crazy old man." Natsu coughed as he stood up. Acno's face contorted into purest rage and he gnashed his teeth.

"How?! How are you still breathing! Do you see this blade?! It deals death to dragons! Instantaneously! I will kill you!" Acno shrieked. He lunged at the still unsteady Natsu who was trying to get back his legs. He barely raised his shield up in time to block the dagger. Acno unleashed a flurry of strikes at Natsu, grazing his arms, torso, and piercing into his shoulder and abdomen.

"Why! Won't! You! Die!" Acno screamed punctuating each word with a stab into Natsu who refused to die. He swung wildly at his head. Natsu glared, turned his head, and caught the blade in his teeth and shattered it with the strength of his dragon teeth.

"Do you see this sword, old man? There's an inscription written on it in the language of dragons! It reads 'The strength of a dragon comes from 'A dragon's power is in its heart and in its friends'. It means I draw strength from within myself and from those who support me! My parents live on inside of me! I keep them in my heart! As well as the entire kingdom and my kin! Their power is my power! How dare you believe for a second that I would ever die by your hands! How could I make a promise to come back safely to my wife and kids and then lose to a scumbag like you? You are nothing! These wounds? Nothing! My mother, Rose, had the power to restore life to those injured and since she lives on inside of me, I now have that same power! So prepare yourself, Acno the Foolish, for you draw your last breath on earth!" He coated his entire body in flames of righteous fury and determination. Acno stumbled backwards and fell over. "A real man would never lose to the likes of you!" He sheathed his sword and picked up Acno by the collar of his robes. "My father says he let you win." Acno's eyes filled with fear at this revelation. Natsu unleashed a mighty pillar of fire from his body disintegrating everything around him. The ashes of his adversary floated on the wind around him before being taken by the currents towards the four corners of the earth. He flew up to face level with Titan and looked him in the eye.

"Big guy! Titan! The sorcerer controlling you is gone! His horn is nothing but ash now! He's not controlling you anymore! You don't have to kill your brothers!" Natsu shouted into Titan's ear. He stopped fighting his brothers and shrank down into human form to talk to his brothers more easily.

"My brothers, I am so sorry for hurting you. Would you please forgive me? I will aide you with the rest of the battle before I return to my long nap." Titan offered.

"Of course, brother." Garganita, Leviathan, and Goliath all agreed and forgave him in a brotherly group hug. Titan took on his colossal form and decimated the remaining beasts and monsters while Natsu, Terra, Atlas, and Ellie all mopped up the troublesome areas where the concentration was high. Soon thereafter, the remaining monsters scattered and fled to the woods and mountains in the surrounding areas. Natsu quickly rushed to all that were severely wounded or barely hanging on to life and used the last of his mother's magic power still inside him to heal them.

"Thank you for all your help, Great Descendants. Where will you go now?" He asked them when after the battle had been won.

"We will return to our homeland and sleep until we are called upon again. Our time is over for now. Fare well, Natsu Dragneel. May happiness find you all of your days." Goliath said as they left for the dragon realm.

"And what of us, King?" Atlas asked. "Where shall we go? There is not nearly enough room in your kingdom and we have no place to go now."

"I've already got a plan for that, Atlas. Don't worry about it. Let's just go home for now. You can all use the rooms in the castle until everything is built. We will be expanding the Dragneel Kingdom to encompass several more towns and regions. Plenty of room for you all to settle into towns or roam as you please." Natsu answered. They all began their long march home, the dragons too exhausted to even fly themselves though everyone was happy they were victorious. When they finally made it home, they were welcomed by the townspeople in the streets with cheering and praise. Although several townspeople were sad to not see their loved ones' faces amidst the throng of soldiers, they were happy knowing that they gave their life protecting the kingdom. When Natsu finally made it to the castle grounds, Lucy and their children were waiting at the front steps for him.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Ignus cried, running up to Natsu and hugging him tight. "Did you beat the bad guys?" He asked.

"I sure did son. They were no match for me. You want to know why? Because real men don't lose to bad men. Not when they have people to protect. And I had you, Layla, and Mommy to protect." He hugged his son back.

"Daddy!" Layla yelled from Lucy's arms. Lucy set her down to let Layla walk the short distance to Natsu.

"Layla! You're walking farther and farther each day! I missed you all!" Natsu cried hugging his family.

"We missed you too." Lucy buried her face into Natsu's neck and wrapped her arms around him and the kids.

"Come on. If I'm not mistaken, it's Red Curry night! Also, Lucy, my darling, sweet and kind angel, whom I have always loved?" Natsu asked with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Yes my love, whom I will always adore and support granted you aren't about to ask anything stupid?" She answered with a suspicious smile.

"We are going to have some guests over tonight. And possibly until we can expand the kingdom to include a few more towns. It's just going to be Ellie, Terra, and Atlas that I know of. The rest of the dragons are roaming around so it could be that there's a few more in the castle for a bit?" Natsu said.

"That's fine, my love." Lucy put her hand on his face. "But I suggest you expand in a hurry unless you want to sleep outside." She said with a devilish grin and then laughed sweetly.

"Yeah." Natsu laughed nervously. "You're kidding right, Luce?" He called as they entered the castle.

"It's Red Curry night. Are you coming or what?" Lucy turned and asked before kissing him.

"Yeah, Lucy. I'm coming." He smiled as he shut the door.

To Be Continued


	11. Chapter 11

The Tales of the Princess and the Dragon

Chapter 11

A Guild By Any Other Name

It had been 10 years since the War Between Beasts and Legends as it came to be called and today was Ignus's sixteenth birthday. Ignus and Layla were on the way to the market side of town of Magnolia for lunch when smoke was spotted. "Help! Please, somebody help!" A woman screamed as she ran out of a burning house. "My baby is trapped upstairs by the fire! Please somebody save my baby!" The woman was franticly crying and pleading for someone to save her baby but the crowd around didn't know what to do as the stairs had been blocked by burning debris.

"Let's go, Sis!" Ignus said grabbing his sister's hand and leaping into the burning building in front of them. Moments later, the fire was gone and the two dragon children jumped down from the top window with the baby safe and sound.

"Oh, children, thank you so much! But how did you get out of there unhurt and where did the fire go?" The woman asked.

"We're the Dragneel Halflings! Fire doesn't hurt and I can eat it." Ignus answered with a Dragneel smile.

"Of course. With a smile like that and two beautiful faces like yours, you could only be our King's and Queen's children. Thank you so much for saving my baby girl, Prince Ignus and Princess Layla. Here, have some ripe apples for free and tell Their Highnesses they are welcome to any of my wares at the store for free." She gave them a bag of apples and a coupon from her store as thanks.

"No Mrs. Thatcher, it's perfectly fine. We appreciate the offer but we would rather show our appreciation by purchasing your wares rather than accepting free gifts from you. And we've told you several times to please call just call us Ignus and Layla." Layla said to the woman with a smile.

"You kids are just too nice." She replied, clasping her hands together. "How about this? I will call you Ignus and Layla if you let me give you something for lunch?" She offered.

"Much appreciated Mrs. Thatcher." Ignus replied, taking the basket of food handed to him. They thanked her again and flew to a nearby hill to eat their still hot lunch.

"Help!" A scream came from the woods outside of town. Two kids came running out like the devil himself was on their heels. The trees were parted and knocked around by a giant fifteen foot monster with long gray fur, rot-yellow tusks, razor sharp claws, and a body built like a troll. This troll-like monster came barreling out of the tree line after the two children snarling and running like a gorilla. This monster, a Vulcan as it was called, was a remnant of the monsters in the war ten years ago.

"Let's go, Iggy!" Layla exclaimed taking off towards the imperiled kids in a bee line with Ignus close behind.

"I'll stop the Vulcan; you go take the kids to safety!" Ignus said.

"On it!" She replied as she swooped in and grabbed the kid, taking them behind the town walls.

"Hey ugly! Pick on someone your own size!" Ignus yelled, getting the Vulcan's attention before going full speed and morphing into his dragon form mid air and plowing into the Vulcan. The Vulcan charged at Ignus who caught it by the tusks. He was pushed back but dug his feet into the ground creating two ruts before sucking in air and breathing out fire onto the Vulcan roasting it.

"Well that was fun." Ignus said as he brushed dust off of himself. Another Vulcan leaped from the tree line at Ignus but was quickly shot down by three arrows to the head and chest. Ignus looked at the dead Vulcan and then around until he spotted a silhouette on top of a tower inside the town holding a bow before it loosed another arrow with a rope tied to it into a nearby tree, tied it off, and rode the rope to the ground.

"A girl?" Ignus asked in disbelief.

"Not just any girl." The tall, long haired brunette retorted as she walked towards them with her hair flowing in the wind. "My name is Robyn. Best shot this side of the sea."

"Wait wouldn't that mean that you're the best shot on the continent?" Ignus narrowed his eyes thinking.

"Would you look at that? So the famous adventurer prince does have a brain!" Robyn laughed punching him playfully. She didn't look to be much younger than him at all if any.

"Famous you say?" Ignus smirked and ran a hand through his hair.

"Brother, I think if your head gets any bigger, we'll need a bigger crown when you get older." Layla said under her breath. "Also, Robyn, pardon our manners. We haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Princess Layla and this is my brother, Prince Ignus. But you already knew that by the looks of it. That was a mathematically improbable shot you made killing that Vulcan a minute ago. You certainly are skilled.

"Why thank you Princess Layla. Do you mind if I call you Layla? I'm not big on the whole formal thing." Robyn asked.

"We don't mind at all, do we, Ig?" Layla replied punching Ignus, who was occupied staring at Robyn, in the ribs.

"Huh? Oh. What she said." He answered.

"Brother.." Layla said in a low, frustrated tone. He smiled a sheepish smile. They heard fighting going on several hundred yards away and saw a boy around their age clad in chain mail and wielding a short sword doing battle with three Vulcans and a bear.

"Robyn, we have to go help him! Come on, Layla!" Ignus yelled as the three of them took off towards the battle. One Vulcan clawed downwards at the young boy who aimed his sword into the hand of the oncoming claw, piercing straight through the Vulcan hand. The Vulcan shrieked in pain and flailed its hand sending the boy into a tree, sword still stuck in the Vulcan's hand. He jumped to his feet and dove at his sword, yanking it free and spinning around to deliver a fatal blow to the creature's throat and slicing another's leg. Robyn fired three arrows into the wounded one killing it. Ignus dropped in behind the third and grabbed its arms, pulling them backwards while the young swordsman slashed across its abdomen disemboweling it. The bear grabbed both the young swordsman and Ignus in a bear hug ready to crush them when Layla targeted the bear's pressure points around the neck and back incapacitating it. Ignus and the swordsman got out from under the massive bear and brushed themselves off.

"Thank you for your help. My name is Rudy Smithson. Son of the greatest human smith in all the land. And who is it that I have to thank for coming to my aide?" Rudy asked.

"We are the Dragneel Hlaflings, Smithson. I am Layla, princess of the kingdom and this is my brother Ignus, next in line to the throne. We are accompanied by Robyn, the greatest shot in all the land. We had just rescued two children from some Vulcans when we heard you battling these Vulcans. What I don't understand is why you were fighting a bear as well." Layla replied cocking an eyebrow.

"Nice to meet you, Rudy. You are one skilled swordsman for someone so young.

"Likewise, son of Natsu. Wow I really can't believe I am meeting the famous adventurer prince and princess! This is amazing. I've always wanted to meet you two ever since tales of your heroics throughout the kingdom were told to me. Oh, please forgive me, princess. I was caught up in my excitement. I was searching for berries to eat but it seems I picked the wrong bush and this bear didn't take it well. As for the Vulcans, there's a very large group of them in the cave uphill through the woods. I was thinking about taking them on by myself but they seem to be too strong. They have been getting bolder and have been attacking the townspeople at night." He replied.

"How about we go and clear them out for the town?" Robyn suggested. "Magnolia would probably reward us with something nice anyways."

"For glory." Ignus said putting his hand out face down.

"For honor." Rudy put his hand on top of Ignus's.

"For treasure!" Robyn said excitedly and put her hand on top of the stack.

"For the town!" Layla said completing the stack.

And so it was agreed that they would all work together to clear out the cave of ferocious Vulcans for all the people of Magnolia.

"Here's the plan." Layla stated as everyone gathered in a small circle outside of the cave. "There's exactly forty Vulcans in there which we can handle given what I've seen of our combat skills. But there's only one way that we can take them all without getting seriously injured. Robyn, you're going to kill the first ten Vulcans by shooting them in the throat so they can't alert the others. Rudy, you're going to have to kill the next ten while Ig and I take care of the rest by knocking down the stalactites in the ceiling. If there are any Vulcans left standing, we take them down. They won't know what hit them." Layla had an evil smile on her face after she said this.

"Hey Ignus?" Rudy whispered. "Your sister is scary."

"Tell me about it. One second she's a sweet little girl the next minute she's a ruthless mastermind." Ignus replied.

"What was that?" Layla asked with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

"Nothing!" Rudy and Ignus cried in unison holding their hands up in surrender.

"Okay!" She suddenly wore a sweet and innocent smile.

"Wow, Layla. You sure can be scary sometimes." Robyn told her nonchalantly. The two boys' jaws dropped at how casual she said it.

"I know. I take after my mother after all." Layla replied and laughed.

As they entered the cave, Robyn saw her ten targets and waited until Layla and the boys got into position. She then let loose ten arrows all finding their marks in the throats of her targets while Rudy blade danced between each of his ten targets, slicing, chopping, beheading and dismembering each one with extreme prejudice. Simultaneously, Layla and Ignus broke all of the stalactites on the ceiling making them crash down on top of the other twenty Vulcans. Five Vulcans had managed to escape doom and rushed at Ignus who coated his fist in fire and delivered a devastating upper cut sending one into the air. Robyn put two arrows into its chest and one in the head before moving on to the next ones. Layla stopped one's heart by attacking a series of pressure points in the chest and torso while Rudy finished it with a swift strike to the heart. Ignus charged the third one head on and rammed it into the wall beside Rudy who delivered a downward slash to its skull finishing it while Layla used her claws to wound a Vulcan who had sneaked behind Robyn who quickly dispatched it. They all looked at the final Vulcan and gave a knowing smirk to each other before charging it all together.

"Now that was fun!" Robyn said delightedly.

"It was." Rudy agreed.

"My little sister is a mastermind." Ignus said with pride.

"Thanks. We should probably tell the Magnolians that the area is safe." Layla replied.

"Yeah. You know, we make a really good team. How about we stay a team? We could protect the townspeople and make a name for ourselves. Maybe even get jobs from other towns across the kingdom." Ignus said.

"I'll do you one better." Rudy said. "What if we found others like us? Or trained others to be as skilled as us? We could protect the people of all the towns. We could go on adventures every single day and be together! My uncle is a great carpenter so he could build something like a guild hall."

"I like where you're going with this, Rudy. But there's only one problem. We don't have the money to hire your uncle. And even if we did, what would we name the guild?" Robyn asked.

"I know where we can get money. I just know my father would be proud of us if we set off to protect the kingdom where no one else could. He'll gladly pay for us." Ignus spoke up.

"Then it's settled! We'll create the kingdom's first adventurer's guild!" Layla cried.

Two months later, the guild had been completed in Magnolia just off the town square.

"So, guild leader. What'll we name it?" Rudy asked Layla.

"Me? Why am I the guild leader? I'm the youngest one out of the four of us!" She replied nervously.

"Well you are the smartest one out of the four of us. We could have gotten seriously hurt back at the cave two months ago. So what's the name?" Robyn asked.

"Hey Iggy? You remember those fairy tales Mom told us when we were much younger?" Layla asked.

"Yeah. What about them?" He answered.

"I want this guild to feel just like that. Except, I want it to feel like family and fun all the time and I want it to be one big adventure that never stops. Like chasing a fairy's tail." She said thoughtfully.

"Sounds good to me. Fairy Tail it is." Ignus replied.

"Fairy Tail!" Rudy exclaimed.

"Fairy Tail!" Robyn laughed.

"Fairy Tail! Ignus yelled.

"Fairy Tail." Layla beamed.

The End


End file.
